Comets shooting to continue the surprise party

Shooting to continue the surprise partyWNBA PLAYOFFSThe Comets hope to add a new twist to their championship legacy: winning as an underdog

W.H. STICKNEY JR., Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

Published 5:30 am, Thursday, September 8, 2005

During the days of old when the Comets ruled the WNBA, they were the envy and target of every team in the league.

They were a known commodity with a reputation for yielding dividends as regularly as blue-chip stocks.

After a four-season title absence, the Comets are within five victories of winning their fifth championship, yet they've arrived in the Western Conference finals as perhaps the most "iffy" of the four remaining teams.

An up-and-down season followed by two impressive road victories in the first round of the playoffs to dethrone the reigning champion Seattle Storm may have opponents wondering, "Will the real Comets please stand up?"

"To be honest, I think a lot of teams right now are questioning, 'Can we beat them? How good are they?' " Sheryl Swoopes said Tuesday. "Obviously, we had an up-and-down season. We didn't really have everybody here; the players that were here, some were healthy, some were not.

"And I just think right now, we're clicking (on) all cylinders offensively, defensively; we're moving the ball, we're making other teams have to work on defense. And when you're playing basketball like that, you're going to be pretty tough to beat."

Next up for the Comets is a best-of-three series that begins tonight at Toyota Center against the Sacramento Monarchs to determine the Western Conference representative in the WNBA Finals.

Game 2 is Saturday afternoon at Arco Arena in Sacramento. The rubber match, if necessary, also would be at Arco on Sunday afternoon.

The Monarchs, in the conference finals for the third consecutive season, have had few problems with consistency.

John Whisenant was voted Coach of the Year as his Monarchs set franchise records for victories (25-9), best home record (15-2) and consecutive home wins (eight from July 24 to Aug. 23).

In the eyes of most observers, said coach Van Chancellor, the Comets have only the heavens to thank for being in the second round.

"My whole thought process has been this. Not one person picked us to make the playoffs," Chancellor said. "Not one person thought we'd beat Seattle in that series."

How different it is from the days when the Comets were expected to win the title.

"I enjoyed it when we were the favorites. I'm enjoying us being decisive underdogs, because nobody thinks we'll win this series," Chancellor said. "So, yeah, I'm enjoying it. I've enjoyed it all. What I'd like to do is see our players play as good as they can play."

The Comets performed at their peak during the back-to-back victories over the Storm. After a slow start in Game 2, the Comets enjoyed two of their better offensive games all season.

Defensively, they held Lauren Jackson, Sue Bird, Betty Lennox and Co. in check. That was in direct contrast to a four-game stretch early in the regular season when the Comets allowed double-digit leads to evaporate, watching sure wins turn into defeats.

"I think that if we continue to maintain our personality with the one that allows us to be successful in moving the ball, just making that extra pass to that next open player, it makes us very efficient, especially offensively," said Tina Thompson. "But I think that we did a very good job defensively as well (in Seattle). We combined those two. We've been very, I guess, good, or having a good overall game, and we've been able to get some wins out of it."

In compiling a 19-15 regular-season record, the Comets scored an average of 67.9 points per game but allowed 66.6. In the series-clincher against the Storm, the Comets scored 75 points while holding Seattle to 58.

In three games with the Monarchs this season, the Comets never scored more than 68 points. They lost 74-68 and 55-45 at Arco Arena and won 58-54 at Toyota Center on July 19.

Sacramento was No. 1 in the WNBA in team defense, holding opponents to 61.6 points per game. But the Monarchs also feature arguably the most challenging offense to defend.

"They play nine, 10 players every night," Chancellor said. "John's got them playing unbelievable basketball. They're playing well together, they share the ball. And then they've got two great veteran, experienced players.

"And I hear DeMya Walker's going to play. When you've got (point guard Ticha) Penicheiro and you've got Yolanda Griffith, who are as hungry as they are for a championship, they're really scary to me."

Nicole Powell and Kara Lawson, a pair of aces from 3-point range, add to the mix that makes the Monarchs one of the league's most formidable inside-outside units.

"It looks like that trade has just turned them around," Chancellor said, referring to an offseason swap with Charlotte that brought Powell to Sacramento in exchange for veteran forward Tangela Smith.

"It's put (forwards) Walker and (Rebekkah) Brunson at their natural positions and then it gave them an outside threat. Powell can just score from anywhere."

On paper, it would appear that Comets vs. Monarchs pits an unknown against a familiar commodity. But said Comets reserve point guard Dawn Staley said at this stage, there are no clear-cut favorites and no true underdogs.

"I think it's pressure for everybody," she said. "But you look at our team. In a series, I like our chances because of our experience, because we've played in very big basketball games, playing on an international level.

"And when I say we, I mean Swoopes, Thompson and (Janeth) Arcain. We've played (in the Olympics) on a bigger stage than this. And I don't think we're going to get rattled by any one situation.

Comets Summary

Doing their part

Following a two-hour workout at Toyota Center on Wednesday afternoon, the Comets and their coaches boarded a bus and headed to the Reliant Astrodome, where they spent an hour visiting with victims of Hurricane Katrina.

It was the second time this week that at least one of the Comets went to Reliant Park. Dawn Staley said she served as a volunteer Monday.

Staley initially offered her services for those housed at the Dome but instead was diverted to the shelter at nearby Reliant Center.

"You'd think you would go in and see the crying," Staley said. "They're not like that; they're very positive. I wasn't anticipating that. I thought I was going to have to comfort people. But they let us know exactly what went on, (that) they were out of a tough situation and were on to something else that could give them a little hope."

Light practice

The Comets went through a relaxed workout in the main arena at Toyota Center on Wednesday in preparation for tonight's series opener with Sacramento.

"Always at this time of year, you just practice to kind of get them sharp, get them to feeling good," coach Van Chancellor said.

"Because if they aren't ready to play by now, they will never be ready to play. You get to the playoffs, I think the first day you practice you practice hard, like we did (Tuesday).

"You go long, you go hard, try to get ready. And then (Wednesday), you kind of taper off. It's a mental practice."

Familiar foes

The Comets are 3-2 against the Monarchs in the playoffs. The last time the two teams met in the postseason was the first round of the 2003 playoffs, which the Monarchs won 2-1.